How many trees?

In this exercise, you are expected to bid for the timber rights on a large plot of isolated land. Since timber value is assumed to be proportional to the number of trees, a tree count can be converted into a bid price. So, to make a bid, you need to estimate how many trees are on the plot. If your estimate is too low, another, more accurate bidder, will bid higher and win the logging rights. If your estimate is too high (i.e., you offer too much money for the logging rights), your company could go bankrupt.

Your primary data consist of a Landsat photograph of the area. It is a false-color map whose red intensity signifies tree density. At any point on the map, with a click of the mouse, you can zoom in for a detailed look at the tree distribution at that coordinate. The total number of trees in the area is the sum of the trees at each coordinate point. (Coordinates are indicated in the status bar at the bottom). As an aid for counting the trees, any mouse click within the zoomed area will automatically increment a counter. How many trees are there in the whole area? Begin to count.